Jeff Does Bookshttps://jeffdoesbooks.com
Get your book edited by a science fiction and fantasy editor with New York and London experience.Tue, 20 Aug 2019 19:58:37 +0000en-US
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1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.3Evaluating Characterhttps://jeffdoesbooks.com/evaluating-character/
https://jeffdoesbooks.com/evaluating-character/#respondTue, 20 Aug 2019 19:57:48 +0000http://jeffdoesbooks.com/?p=384Evaluating Character Evaluating character helps an editor anticipate audience reaction. Readers love imaginative settings, thrilling plots, and beautiful writing. But they come to stories for characters. Because of that, evaluating character forms one of the central goals of developmental editing. The editor ensures each of your novel’s main cast members (protagonist, antagonist, etc.) is compelling. […]

Evaluating character helps an editor anticipate audience reaction. Readers love imaginative settings, thrilling plots, and beautiful writing. But they come to stories for characters. Because of that, evaluating character forms one of the central goals of developmental editing. The editor ensures each of your novel’s main cast members (protagonist, antagonist, etc.) is compelling. They also take a look at your minor characters.

The Four Pillars of
Character

When I’m evaluating character, I always look for the Four Pillars of Character. What does a character value, what do they want, what’s in their way, and what are they doing about it? In every bestseller I’ve read, the reader can answer those questions shortly after the main character’s introduction. And while the answers to those questions can change over the course of the book, the reader never loses track of them. Much of the character feedback I offer during developmental editing aims at helping authors clarify the answers to those four questions.

Evaluating Character
Arcs

During developmental editing, an editor also evaluates character arcs. Editors apply one or more critical frameworks (the Big Lie, the Hero’s Journey, etc.) when doing so. Each checks that a character changes satisfyingly over time. The fantasy hero or heroine might learn to trust their power in order to defeat the villain. The romance heroine might learn to value her feelings to find love. The hard-boiled detective might learn to trust their sidekick in order to catch the murderer. Readers typically enjoy stories in which characters grow in knowledge about themselves (common in literary fiction), about the world (common in dark, gritty fiction of all genres), or in both (common in most other fiction). Character arcs are often most satisfying when they’re intimately related to the plot of a book, and the character can’t succeed at their external goal without changing internally first. A good developmental editor will check for all these things.

Avoiding Stereotypes and Cliches

One of the last, but most important, tasks of the developmental editor when evaluating character is ensuring the author avoids stereotypes and cliches. First-time authors often default to characters similar to ones they know and love. But if that wise old mentor looks, acts, speaks, and dresses exactly like Obi-Wan Kenobi or Gandalf the Grey, readers are likely to want a little more. More importantly, if an author stumbles into repeating racial or gender stereotypes from stories they loved when they were younger, they can accidentally turn off whole swathes of readers. A good editor will catch stereotypes and cliches, and understand when to refer an author to a specialty reader if a book touches controversial ground.

Evaluating character could fill its own whole series of
posts, and I’m sure we’ll return to the topic in the future. But for now we’ll
move on to Evaluating the Opening.

]]>https://jeffdoesbooks.com/evaluating-character/feed/0Evaluating Pacinghttps://jeffdoesbooks.com/evaluating-pacing/
https://jeffdoesbooks.com/evaluating-pacing/#respondThu, 01 Aug 2019 19:11:05 +0000http://jeffdoesbooks.com/?p=368Evaluating Pacing Evaluating pacing helps an editor gauge whether or not a book will bore its readers during developmental editing. That sounds like a fairly straightforward appraisal (Is this book boring? Yes or no?), but in practice it gets complicated. Different genres carry different pacing expectations. An epic fantasy with a slow, setting-heavy opening creates […]

Evaluating pacing helps an editor gauge whether or not a book will bore its readers during developmental editing. That sounds like a fairly straightforward appraisal (Is this book boring? Yes or no?), but in practice it gets complicated. Different genres carry different pacing expectations. An epic fantasy with a slow, setting-heavy opening creates a pleasant sense of grandeur. A political thriller with the same opening is likely dead on arrival. Properly evaluating pacing during developmental editing requires understanding reader expectations, knowing how to manage a tension curve, and spotting missed opportunities.

Reader Expectations
for Pacing

When evaluating pacing, I begin by identifying reader expectations. Authors are often taught basic maxims for successful fiction along the lines of “Never let your tension flag,” “Open your book with action,” “End every chapter with a cliffhanger,” etc. The people teaching those maxims often forget to qualify them—they work for some genres, but not others. A cozy mystery doesn’t need to launch with much in the way of action. Most plots needs a few moments of low tension to develop subplots, introduce new characters and settings, and set up twists. And cliffhangers in character-focused contemporary fiction tend to feel laughably forced. Knowing reader expectations for the story’s genre helps you evaluate this story’s pacing, not pacing in relation to an imaginary ideal.

Managing the Tension
Curve

Once you’ve identified reader expectations, you should have a general sense of the book’s ideal tension curve. Most narratives begin with low tension, ramp up toward a climactic confrontation between protagonist and antagonist, and then lower tension again during a short denouement.

But not all stories follow the same curve, and even those with similar trajectories can look quite different at the chapter level. If you assign each scene in a novel a tension value between zero and ten (zero meaning no tension, ten meaning imminent risk of death), you’re likely to find that your values don’t increase uniformly. You may go from a five to a nine when the antagonist makes a sudden, dramatic appearance. You may drop from that nine back down to a six again when the protagonist escapes to safety and regroups for another confrontation.

Novels with successful pacing make those changes in ways the reader finds satisfying. Dropping from a tension level of ten to one just a chapter before the climax is going to confuse most readers. Bouncing between eight and ten for the entire first act of a book may burn them out, particularly if you then move into a more standard progression of sixes and nines in the second act. To do a good job of evaluating pacing, an editor maps out a book’s tension curve (either physically or mentally) and compares it to reader expectations in the genre.

Spotting Missed
Opportunities

Spotting missed opportunities forms the last step in evaluating pacing during developmental editing. Most problems in a tension curve involve a failure to remind the reader of the danger threatening the protagonist, or a missed opportunity to get the protagonist to a place of temporary safety. I like to use Star Wars as an example. Moments of comparatively low tension are easy to identify, signaled by jokes and musical cues: Artoo and Threepio in the desert after their escape pod crashes, Luke returning to Obi-Wan after the death of his family, the heroes cleaning up after escaping the garbage smasher on the Death Star, the heroes celebrating escaping the Death Star.

In poorly paced stories, the author typically misfires on those moments of safety. Imagine the opening act of Star Wars if the Empire stays right on Artoo and Threepio’s tail. We would lose the chance to meet Luke and develop the protagonist of the story as a character. At the other extreme, imagine if Luke took twenty minutes of screen time to decide what to do after finding his aunt and uncle dead. At some point we’d get fed up and want the story to move along already, no matter how pretty the desert shots were.

When you’re evaluating pacing during developmental editing, you need to learn to spot those missed opportunities. Once you do, you can recommend putting some distance between the protagonist and antagonist where it’s necessary, and kicking them into gear more quickly when they’re taking too long to act.

]]>https://jeffdoesbooks.com/evaluating-pacing/feed/0Evaluating Structurehttps://jeffdoesbooks.com/evaluating-structure/
https://jeffdoesbooks.com/evaluating-structure/#respondTue, 30 Jul 2019 13:34:51 +0000http://jeffdoesbooks.com/?p=359Evaluating Structure Evaluating structure forms the core of many developmental editing approaches. When I talk structure, I mean the overall shape of the story. Is it a romance? Is it a hero’s journey? Is it a heist? The answer matters because it shapes reader expectations. Evaluating structure can be a little difficult to wrap your […]

Evaluating structure forms the core of many developmental editing approaches. When I talk structure, I mean the overall shape of the story. Is it a romance? Is it a hero’s journey? Is it a heist? The answer matters because it shapes reader expectations. Evaluating structure can be a little difficult to wrap your head around in theory, but it’s usually intuitive in practice. Our minds constantly evaluate structure. It’s a big part of how we decide whether to engage with a story. And it’s an even bigger part of how we decide whether that story is good.

Basic Structure

I highly recommend Shawn Coyne’s The Story Grid to learn more about evaluating structure—he presents an interesting, novel, and useful set of tools for thinking about story structure. But after over ten years working with fiction, I’ve noticed that every structure seems to boil down to a single basic formula: a series of escalating confrontations between a protagonist and one or more antagonists. When evaluating structure, I always look for that series of escalating confrontations—if the tension doesn’t escalate, or if there’s no specific protagonist and antagonist, a story has major structural problems, and we need to address them before moving on to higher-order concerns.

Advanced Structure

Within that basic formula, storytellers employ an astonishing variety of advanced structures. A three-act structure creates heightened tension and builds to intense confrontations at specific points in the narrative. A hero’s journey uses twelve (give or take) scenes to create a compelling character arc. A heist involves a protagonist trying to steal something from the antagonist, with escalating confrontations driven by the theft. A thriller means your antagonist tries to kill your protagonist, usually while the protagonist tries to figure out who they are.

Does It Match Up?

When evaluating structure, I focus on how well a story matches the audience’s expectations. Casual readers intuitively understand dozens of advanced structures. Heavy readers know many more. If that sounds unlikely, I suggest an experiment. Pick up a book you haven’t read. Read the first three pages, and pay attention to how that opening shapes your expectations. When a protagonist talks about stealing something in the first chapter? You know it’s a heist. When there’s an unexplained attempt on their life? Thriller. When someone finds a dead body, and the protagonist wonders why? Mystery. We all evaluate structure, unconsciously, every time we read.

Once a reader intuits the structure of a novel, they develop expectations about how it will play out. A heist that wanders away from the theft for twelve chapters leaves a lot of readers frustrated. So does a hero’s journey that leaves out the Dark Night of the Soul, or a thriller in which attempts on the protagonist’s life stop without resolution. At its heart, evaluating structure means uncovering these reader expectations, and then making sure a book fulfills them in an exciting and novel way.

]]>https://jeffdoesbooks.com/evaluating-structure/feed/0Evaluating Genrehttps://jeffdoesbooks.com/evaluating-genre/
https://jeffdoesbooks.com/evaluating-genre/#respondTue, 23 Jul 2019 17:24:39 +0000http://jeffdoesbooks.com/?p=353Evaluating Genre Evaluating genre anchors many of the best developmental editing approaches. Knowing whether a story works begins with knowing whether it achieves what it sets out to do. The reaction of its intended audience—not necessarily the editor—matters most. An editor also needs to know how a book will be received by the gatekeepers involved […]

Evaluating genre anchors many of the best developmental editing approaches. Knowing whether a story works begins with knowing whether it achieves what it sets out to do. The reaction of its intended audience—not necessarily the editor—matters most. An editor also needs to know how a book will be received by the gatekeepers involved in the author’s chosen publishing paradigm. That can be Amazon algorithms and reader-reviewers in indie publishing, or agents, editors, and professional review outlets in traditional publishing. Evaluating genre helps an editor do that job.

What is Genre?

Before an editor can evaluate genre, they need to develop a working understanding of what genre is. For this, I highly recommend Shawn Coyne’s book The Story Grid, which lays out an innovative “Five-Leaf Clover” approach that breaks each story up into several genres based on length, prose style, plot type, distance between the setting and reality, and structure. I cannot recommend this book enough. If you don’t have time to do that reading, here’s my quick-and-dirty definition: genre is a set of expectations readers carry into a book based on how it’s marketed to them. When we say a book is fantasy, readers expect magic. When we say it’s a thriller, they expect lives to be on the line and the pacing to be fast. When we say it’s a romance, they expect a love story. And once we set those expectations, we need to deliver on them.

How to Evaluate Genre

To evaluate genre, I focus on three parts of the five-leaf clover: plot type, structure, and distance from reality. Plot type tells you what readers will expect in terms of the obstacles the protagonist faces. Is this an adventure story? Is it a romance? Is it a coming-of-age novel? Structure tells you what kinds of narrative expectations the audience will carry. Is this a traditionally structured three-act novel that maps to the hero’s journey? Is it a circular, character-focused novel that explores cycles of action and how they affect lives? Is it a postmodern takedown of the very idea of structure? Distance from reality tells you how far the reader wants to suspend their disbelief and what kind of spectacle they’re looking for. Is this a fantasy built around a fascinating magical what-if? Science fiction that stems from a startling technological innovation? A historical novel that begins with an evocative description of a famous time and place? A contemporary novel built around cues the reader will understand from their day-to-day life?

Identifying each of these genres helps you narrow down the audience’s expectations. And once you’ve done that, you can begin accurately evaluating how well the novel does its job.

How Do I Learn Genre?

To evaluate genre, an editor develops a fluent understanding of setting types, plot types, and structures. They also learn how those things funnel into and interact with the broad marketing genres (Fantasy, Science Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Romance, Young Adult, Middle Grade, etc.) used in bookstores. Typically, editors do this by reading a lot, and by training themselves to evaluate genre in every book they read. If you’re thinking about working with an editor, it often pays to ask them about their experience in your genre, as well as their approach to evaluating genre overall. Not all editors pay as much attention to evaluating genre as they could, and their editing sometimes suffers as a result.

]]>https://jeffdoesbooks.com/evaluating-genre/feed/0Do I Need Developmental Editing?https://jeffdoesbooks.com/do-i-need-developmental-editing/
https://jeffdoesbooks.com/do-i-need-developmental-editing/#respondFri, 19 Jul 2019 18:30:03 +0000http://jeffdoesbooks.com/?p=340Do I Need Developmental Editing? Given that I edit for a living, you might expect my answer to the question “Do I need developmental editing?” to always be “Yes.” But I’ve had clients who didn’t need it, and I’ve advised others that it probably isn’t the best use of their time and money. All manuscripts […]

Given that I edit for a living, you might expect my answer to the question “Do I need developmental editing?” to always be “Yes.” But I’ve had clients who didn’t need it, and I’ve advised others that it probably isn’t the best use of their time and money. All manuscripts benefit from developmental editing. But some of them benefit more than others. In this article I’ll run through a few questions I ask when determining whether to recommend developmental editing.

How Far Along is the
Project?

Developmental editing typically provides the most benefit late in the life of a novel. If you’ve just finished your first draft, it’s probably too soon for you to contact an editor. Instead, I recommend you go back through the manuscript yourself at least once. Chances are you’ll spot a lot of problems, and be able to fix them, on your own. Once that’s done, find three or more trusted beta readers to go over your manuscript and tell you their thoughts. Then go back and revise again. Once you’ve made the manuscript as good as you can possibly make it? Once you don’t see any problems or can’t fix the ones you see? That’s the time to contact a developmental editor.

How Good Are Your Story
Instincts?

Some writers have preternatural talent when it comes to story but weakness at the line level. I’ve come across projects with nearly perfect structure, compelling characters, glorious settings, fascinating themes, and borderline incomprehensible prose. Stories like that still benefit from developmental editing. But if you’re choosing between a developmental edit to take you from 95 to 100 (on a 100-point scale of “How close is this story to its ultimate potential?”) and a line edit to take you from 20 to 85, you should pick the line edit. This case is rare—it’s only happened a handful of times in the more than 100 novels I’ve edited—but it’s still important to keep in mind.

Will You Trust the
Feedback?

The best developmental editing in the world won’t do you any good if you don’t use it. Many writers, after being kicked around by critique partners, agents and editors, college professors, and friends and family, develop serious resistance to letting anyone else influence their story. Their novels would still benefit from developmental editing. They as writers would certainly benefit from seeing good feedback. But if you’re truly committed to going it alone and seeing what happens, then developmental editing isn’t for you.

]]>https://jeffdoesbooks.com/do-i-need-developmental-editing/feed/0What is a Sample Read?https://jeffdoesbooks.com/what-is-a-sample-read/
https://jeffdoesbooks.com/what-is-a-sample-read/#respondWed, 17 Jul 2019 16:09:40 +0000http://jeffdoesbooks.com/?p=313Most great developmental editing relationships begin with a sample read. This stage of building the author/editor relationship helps both parties understand how the other works, how they communicate, and what they do. No amount of reading about developmental editing can replace the experience of actually seeing a piece of your manuscript edited by the editor […]

]]>Most great developmental editing relationships begin with a sample read. This stage of building the author/editor relationship helps both parties understand how the other works, how they communicate, and what they do. No amount of reading about developmental editing can replace the experience of actually seeing a piece of your manuscript edited by the editor you’re considering working with. Here we’ll discuss what a sample read looks like, and ways you can use yours to maximum effect.

A Sample Read is
Short

Most sample reads for developmental editing are short. Editors vary in their preferences, but five to fifteen pages double-spaced, size 12 font, is pretty normal. The editor needs enough space to get a sense of how your story begins, and to see genre, character, setting, voice, and pacing on the page. But they don’t need thousands of words, and they only have a limited amount of time for each sample. Your sample may cut off partway through a chapter, but that’s okay. It’s only a sample.

Use Your Opening

Most writers intuit that their opening provides the best opportunity for an editor to evaluate their novel. If you’re wondering whether your instincts are correct on that, let me assure you they are. Because the opening is such an essential and difficult part of a book, seeing it helps your editor get a sense of the level of your craft and whether they’re going to be able to help you. For the same reason, using your opening for your developmental editing sample means you’re likely to get a good sense of the editor’s working style. They should have ample opportunity to evaluate your writing in those first few pages. You’ll be developing a character and a setting, establishing voice, creating a mystery, hooking the reader into the plot, and more. Even if you’re doing that flawlessly, your editor should be able to write back and tell you what’s working and why.

Get Multiple Editing Samples

One sample read will help you pick an editor. Three will help you pick the right editor. It can be difficult to gauge how good an editor is if you don’t have anyone else to compare them to. But once you have two or three samples sitting next to each other, you should be able to figure out which is the best fit for you. Trust your gut, and don’t be afraid to ask follow-up questions about an editor’s vision for the book and their scope of work before you make your choice. I recommend ranking your editors by preference before considering price. You may find out later that you can’t afford your first-choice editor, but knowing the difference between first and second choice may help you decide whether to adjust your budget to get what you really want.

]]>https://jeffdoesbooks.com/what-is-a-sample-read/feed/0Steps in Developmental Editinghttps://jeffdoesbooks.com/developmental-editing-steps/
https://jeffdoesbooks.com/developmental-editing-steps/#respondTue, 02 Jul 2019 14:22:48 +0000http://jeffdoesbooks.com/?p=306Not all editors follow the same template when performing developmental editing, but most of them have a process. Generally it involves several steps, and we’ll dig into some of the most common here. Your editor may or may not follow this format for your developmental editing, but at the very least it should help you […]

]]>Not all editors follow the same template when performing developmental editing, but most of them have a process. Generally it involves several steps, and we’ll dig into some of the most common here. Your editor may or may not follow this format for your developmental editing, but at the very least it should help you understand some industry terms and jargon and make it a little easier to talk with them about what they’re doing.

The First Pass

Most developmental editing happens the first time an editor reads through a manuscript, on what we call the “first pass.” Editors train themselves to bring fresh eyes to a manuscript each time they read it, and to read it as different members of its audience would (through what we often call “lenses”). But there’s no replacing that first encounter with a manuscript. It’s when the editor’s experience is closest to the reader’s. As editors read, they take notes on the manuscript, in a separate document, or both. They get to know the characters, the setting, the plot, the voice. They jot down questions, potential problems, plot holes and pacing issues. They form a general opinion of what the best revision plan for the book will be. By the time they finish the manuscript, they usually have a good sense of what it needs—often the ending helps them understand what’s missing from the beginning and the middle.

The Edit Letter

Once an editor finishes their first developmental editing pass, they’ll get started on their letter to the author. They’ll group notes by theme or content area (the protagonist, for instance, or the setting). They’ll discuss their thoughts at length, explaining narrative theory to help the author understand why a problem might throw a reader off. Their goal will be to communicate clearly, constructively, and efficiently. Occasionally they’ll make a few suggestions, but they’ll usually leave the fixes to the author. Even if they have some ideas, they’ll often just drop a note along those lines. That way the author will know they’re there, but won’t feel constrained by them.

Spot Editing

You may, from time to time, hear editors talk about “spot editing.” This refers to going back over troublesome areas of the manuscript. Maybe the midpoint complication fell flat, and the editor needs to make a second (or third, or fourth) pass over it in order to understand what to do with it. Maybe the introduction didn’t do a good job of establishing character and conflict. Maybe the climax didn’t feel satisfying, and the editor needs to review previous sections of the book to figure out what was set up that didn’t pay off. Spot editing adds time to the developmental editing process, but it also means you’re getting solid, deep work done on the novel.

The Second Pass

Occasionally, the editor wants you to make revisions and return the manuscript to them so they can do the whole developmental editing process again. We call this a second pass. It’s most common with second books, which are often written under heavy pressure deadline pressure from deadlines and promotional responsibilities. But it can happen anytime during an author’s career. If your editor wants to make a second pass, don’t panic! The book will be much better by the time that second pass begins, and you’ll probably have a much smaller set of changes to make when it’s over.

]]>https://jeffdoesbooks.com/developmental-editing-steps/feed/0Developmental Editing Swapshttps://jeffdoesbooks.com/developmental-editing-swaps/
https://jeffdoesbooks.com/developmental-editing-swaps/#respondMon, 10 Jun 2019 13:40:56 +0000http://jeffdoesbooks.com/?p=299Developmental Editing Swaps Sometimes, an editor (or a writer) wants to trade service for service rather than paying someone for developmental editing. We call this a developmental editing swap. Swaps can be an inexpensive, efficient way to get other eyes on your manuscript. They can also lead to frustrations, wasted time, and torched relationships with […]

Sometimes, an editor (or a writer) wants to trade service for service rather than paying someone for developmental editing. We call this a developmental editing swap. Swaps can be an inexpensive, efficient way to get other eyes on your manuscript. They can also lead to frustrations, wasted time, and torched relationships with friends and colleagues. Here we’ll offer a few tips so you can good results rather than bad.

Find a good match

All developmental editing relationships, whether they’re swaps or paid, live or die on the strength of the match between editor and writer. That’s as true of a swap as it is of a commercial relationship. If you’re friends with an editor who specializes in cozy mysteries, but you’re writing gritty noiresque thrillers, the two of you may not benefit all that much from a swap, even if your technical skills and communication are strong. If you and your swap partner both specialize in feminist epic fantasy set in pseudo-medieval Africa, but you have vastly different ideas about what makes a good narrative, you might still not benefit from a swap, despite your shared genre. Look for someone who understands what you’re trying to do with your book, who thinks it’s awesome, and who can help you do it better.

Set deadlines

Developmental editing swaps, like other informal working arrangements, get frustrating if one party finishes their work quickly and the other lingers for weeks or months. But because most editors have to juggle unpredictable amounts of paid work with the unpaid work of a swap, manuscripts in a swap are likely to get pushed to the bottom of the to-do list whenever something else crops up at work (or in life). To make sure that doesn’t happen, agree to a timeline with your swap partner before you start. Many creative people, editors included, leave projects to the last minute. So if there’s no last minute, it’ll never get done.

Temper your
expectations

In developmental editing, you tend to get what you pay for. So temper your expectations of a swap. Yes, you’re providing something of value when you edit someone else’s work, but that’s not the same as providing them with the ability to keep the lights on and pay the rent. Swaps can be a helpful, profitable way to keep the costs of producing a book down. They can be enjoyable, if you pick the right partner. They can even get you top-quality editing. But understand going in that they’re not a shortcut to success. They’re just an alternate path.

]]>https://jeffdoesbooks.com/developmental-editing-swaps/feed/0Developmental Editing Tipshttps://jeffdoesbooks.com/developmental-editing-tips/
https://jeffdoesbooks.com/developmental-editing-tips/#respondTue, 04 Jun 2019 14:52:04 +0000http://jeffdoesbooks.com/?p=292Developmental Editing Tips We’re taking a break from our usual focus on the author’s point of view to give some tips about how to do developmental editing. These tips should be useful to budding editors as well as authors learning how to give critique. They’re are based on a decade of experience giving and receiving […]

We’re taking a break from our usual focus on the author’s point of view to give some tips about how to do developmental editing. These tips should be useful to budding editors as well as authors learning how to give critique. They’re are based on a decade of experience giving and receiving editing, which boils down to thousands of hours and hundreds of novels’ worth of editorial comments. We’ll focus the list on three basic rules a good developmental editor should follow.

It’s not about you

Always remember that it’s not about you. The editor’s job is to step out of their own head and imagine what a genre’s readers will think. You are not a critic, and your personal preferences have no place in your judgment of whether a piece of writing is succeeding. If you find yourself writing “I think” or “I feel” too often, and especially if you’re using blanket statements like “There’s too much telling in this scene,” you’re probably focused too much on your own experience of the story. There are no rules in writing. There are only reader expectations, and whether or not the writer is fulfilling them in a satisfying way.

Developmental editing is constructive

Second, always remain constructive. Editors who go too long without undergoing developmental editing themselves often get cranky and cantankerous. Never fall into the trap of frustration, and never take it out on the writer. Remember: you have no job without them. To that end, always check your comments before sending them back. If you’re frustrated, let it out in your initial pass. Then edit yourself before you turn over the manuscript. “What’s happening here?” is infinitely more constructive than “What’s happening here????” All you have to do to get there is delete a few question marks.

Do the work

Lastly, do the work. Not just the work of developmental editing, but the preparation you need to do the job well. Your formal education, if you have it, probably focused on literary fiction. Your reading background probably pushed you naturally into one or two, or maybe three, genres. But as an editor you’ll get submissions across every genre under the sun. Know your limits, and if you take on a project that will stretch you, do the work to become an expert in the genre. Ask the author for comparison titles and read them. Dig up craft books written by genre experts and learn the genre’s conventions. Communicate throughout the process about what kind of mystery/thriller/romance/adventure novel the author is writing. It’s not easy expanding your genre repertoire, and you’re fooling yourself if you think you can just wing it. If you try, your developmental editing will suffer, and the writer will bear the brunt of your mistakes. So do the work.

]]>https://jeffdoesbooks.com/developmental-editing-tips/feed/0Developmental Editing for Indie Authorshttps://jeffdoesbooks.com/developmental-editing-for-indie-authors/
https://jeffdoesbooks.com/developmental-editing-for-indie-authors/#respondThu, 30 May 2019 14:49:23 +0000http://jeffdoesbooks.com/?p=286Developmental Editing for Indie Authors Indie authors have a unique and challenging path when it comes to developmental editing. Whereas in traditional publishing, the editor comes with the publishing deal, indies get to pick their own editors. That means they have much more freedom than a traditionally published author does. It also means they can […]

Indie authors have a unique and challenging path when it comes to developmental editing. Whereas in traditional publishing, the editor comes with the publishing deal, indies get to pick their own editors. That means they have much more freedom than a traditionally published author does. It also means they can have a harder time finding an editor who’s a good fit for their project.

Start with multiple editing leads

Because indies choose their own editors, they can evaluate several developmental editing candidates for each project. Traditionally published authors yearn for that, so if you’re an indie, take advantage. Start by asking for referrals from other indie authors. If you don’t know any, consider joining an indie support group like 20Booksto50k, the Indie Writers Cooperative, or the Alliance of Independent Authors. Usually that will generate a good list of developmental editing candidates who are a match for your genre and subgenre. If it doesn’t, you can try a Google search or cruising the listings on a directory of editors like Reedsy or the Editorial Freelancers Association. Avoid booking developmental editing through vanity publishers or indie distributors (like Amazon or Ingram Spark). They’re convenient, but they’re usually overpriced, and the best editors don’t work with them because they pay poorly.

Have a conversation

Once you create a list of prospects you’re excited about for developmental editing, have a conversation with each of them about the editor’s style and experience, your goals for the editing, and whether you think you’ll work well together. It can be tempting to jump straight to the bottom line and ask about price (after all, you’re running a business), but choosing an editor based primarily on price often puts you in a race to the bottom. If you’re lucky, a cheap editor will prove to be a talented newcomer who will do wonders for your book. More often, they’re a veteran who’s perfected the art of cruising rapidly through a book making just enough light edits to justify their low fee. If that’s what you want in developmental editing, they can be a great fit, but make sure you’re clear about the depth of feedback you’re going to get before you start.

Get a sample

Not all editors approach developmental editing the same way, so it’s essential to get a sample before working with one. Reputable editors want to know what they’re getting into as much as you do and should offer a short sample edit of your book (usually ten pages or less, double-spaced, size 12 font). If an editor refuses to do a developmental editing sample, that’s a red flag and you should walk. Either they’re too busy for you, they’re paranoid about being taken advantage of, or they don’t feel comfortable standing behind their edits.

Trust your gut

At the end of the day, go with your gut. If you don’t trust your editor, you won’t trust their feedback. If you don’t like how they communicate, you’ll struggle to use their feedback. And if you don’t like the way they do business, you’ll feel unhappy when you pay them for their services. The editorial relationship is a personal one, and you’ll get the best developmental editing if you work with an editor you view as a partner.